{"id":5065,"date":"2017-08-08T12:13:41","date_gmt":"2017-08-08T16:13:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.highedwebtech.com\/?p=5065"},"modified":"2017-08-17T09:34:35","modified_gmt":"2017-08-17T13:34:35","slug":"password-security","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.highedwebtech.com\/2017\/08\/08\/password-security\/","title":{"rendered":"We’re still using bad passwords in 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"PasswordA door made out of the strongest metal still wouldn\u2019t offer any protection if it was secured with a twist-tie. Likewise, even the most sophisticated online security system can be bypassed in seconds if hackers acquire a user\u2019s password. They’re easy to get when a website is storing passwords in plain text<\/a>, but that’s a different story.<\/p>\n

When people have weak passwords, there\u2019s very little keeping their sensitive information safe. However, when it comes to passwords, many users still choose something that\u2019s easy to remember over something that would be safer. That means hackers and thieves have much less work to do when they try to crack open users\u2019 accounts, resulting in data breaches that put those users and others at risk. Although IT professionals continually stress the importance of choosing a password that is difficult to crack, many users don\u2019t heed the advice.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, the most secure passwords have the problem of being extremely difficult for people to remember easily. That\u2019s why so many people use formulas for creating their passwords that make them easier to figure out for hackers. Some people believe that substituting numbers for letters in common words is enough to make a password difficult to guess. Yet substituting a zero for the \u201co\u201d in \u201chello\u201d is obvious enough to hackers that it\u2019s practically the same as spelling the word the correct way.<\/p>\n

Just this week, in fact, the man that told people to replace numbers for letters said this advice was wrong<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Personally, I use a password manager to handle all my passwords. I use 1Password<\/a>, but LastPass <\/a>and KeePass <\/a>are also good tools. All I need to remember is a strong master password, and 1Password does the rest of the work in keeping my super strong passwords safe.<\/p>\n

Having strong passwords for each of the important websites and Internet portals you use regularly is essential today. Use the following checklist when creating a password to help you avoid some of the most common mistakes that lead to weak passwords. This guide also tells you what steps you need to take if you believe your password may have been compromised to protect yourself and your data. A door is only as strong as the lock on it, and your Internet security is only as strong as the password you use to access it.<\/p>\n